ANNUAL WELD SEEDS – Reseda luteola
(Traditional Yellow Dye Plant)
Dye Colour: Yellow
Produced in: Ireland
Reseda luteola, commonly known as Weld, is one of the most important historic yellow dye plants, valued for its exceptional clarity and lightfastness. Its tall, slender flower spikes and narrow leaves produce strong, clean yellows that form the foundation for greens and oranges when overdyed with indigo or madder.
Weld is normally a biennial, flowering in its second year. However, this particular variety shows the unusual and reliable trait of flowering in its first year under Irish growing conditions. This makes it especially valuable for dyers seeking faster access to usable dye material, while still maintaining good colour quality.
A cornerstone plant for professional natural dye practice, Weld remains central to gardens focused on consistent, high-grade colour production.
Dye fastness: Excellent (one of the most lightfast natural yellows)
🌱 Basic Growing Information
Sowing period
Mid-March to mid-April indoors
Direct sow from mid-May
Germination time
8–14 days
Height
100–150 cm (40–60 in)
Preferred location
Full sun with well-drained soil
Tolerant of poor or dry ground
✂️ Harvesting for Dye
Harvest the whole plant when approximately half of the flower spikes are in bloom, which is when dye content is at its highest. Cut at the base and use fresh, or dry thoroughly for later use.
Leaves, stems, and flower spikes are all suitable for dyeing and produce strong, clear yellows.
Flowers and plant material may be used fresh or dried for dyeing and eco printing.
🌼 About This Variety
This variety was identified during our 2024 Weld variety trials. While several trial varieties flowered in their first year, none did so as consistently as this one.
As it is the flowering plant that is used for dyeing, this trait offers a significant practical advantage by saving a full growing season. However, dye content testing showed that this variety produces slightly paler colour than our traditional biennial Weld (see Sample No. 5 in the final product image).
This presents an important choice for growers and dyers:
• A usable crop in one year with slightly lighter colour
• Or a brighter crop requiring two full growing seasons
📦 Additional Details
Open-pollinated & organically grown in Ireland
Germination rate: 68%
Approx. 75 seeds per packet
Irish seed licence: IE010713
Please note: Seeds and plants can only be shipped within Europe.
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